The volatile compositions of 192 olive oil samples from five different European countries were investigated by PTR-MS sample headspace
analysis. The mass spectra of all samples showed many masses with high abundances, indicating the complex VOC composition of
olive oil. Three different PLS-DA models were fitted to the data to classify samples into country, region and district of origin, respectively.
Correct classification rates were assessed by cross-validation. The first fitted model produced an 86% success rate in classifying the
samples into their country of origin. The second model, which was fitted to the Italian oils only, also demonstrated satisfactory results,
with 74% of samples successfully classified into region of origin. The third model, classifying the Italian samples into district of origin,
yielded a success rate of only 52%. This lower success rate might be due to either the small class set, or to genuine similarities between
olive oil VOC compositions on this tight scale.